1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device that is installed in a vehicle, and provides a driver with various service functions, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In-vehicle devices (car navigation devices, air conditioner operation devices, car audio devices, back monitor devices, and the like) that are installed in vehicles, provide drivers with various information associated with map information or maps in the vehicles, and provide the drivers with various service functions such as navigation to a destination, operation of an air conditioner, a radio, or a music player, image display of an in-vehicle camera are generally utilized. Recently, mobile phones (smart phones) developed based on personal computers and having high functionality are utilized. It is becoming possible for the mobile phones to provide users with services equivalent to those of the in-vehicle devices. For example, it is becoming possible that the in-vehicle device and the mobile phone are connected in a wired or wireless manner, and a screen of an application of the mobile phone is displayed on the in-vehicle device, or a user operates the in-vehicle device to control the application on the mobile phone.
In the abstract of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-44458, a remote-control system that controls a remote-control target terminal from a control instruction terminal is disclosed. By utilizing the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-44458, it becomes possible to utilize an application of a mobile phone (remote-control target terminal) with a large screen of an in-vehicle device (control instruction terminal) suitable for utilization in a vehicle. Additionally, it becomes also possible to integrate screens of various terminal devices such as the mobile phone and to display the screens on the in-vehicle device, for example.
Generally, since the in-vehicle device is mounted on the vehicle, and integrated with the vehicle, a frequency of update of internal data or a program is low. For example, the internal data or the program of the in-vehicle device is not relatively frequently updated, and is often continued to be used for a long period of time, such as seven to ten years. Although the program of the in-vehicle device can be updated at an automobile dealer, a user needs to bring the vehicle with the in-vehicle device installed therein all the way into the dealer, which is troublesome.
As compared with this, the mobile phone is often replaced around every two years, and an old mobile phone is not often continued to be used over a long period of time. Additionally, since the mobile phone with high functionality is often always connected to a network, and easily updated by acquiring information or a program from a server, the mobile phone is often maintained in a state where new information and new functions can be always utilized.
If an application of a mobile phone can be utilized from an in-vehicle device, it is convenient because a large screen can be used. However, there are the following problems.
A driver needs to direct his attention to the front of a vehicle at every moment while the vehicle is moving, and has to avoid watching of the screen of the in-vehicle device for a long time. Particularly, in a case where the vehicle moves at a high speed, since a moving distance of the vehicle for a constant time is long, and a visual field of the driver becomes narrow, it is extremely dangerous that the driver removes his gaze from the view of the front of the vehicle for a long time.
However, general applications of the mobile phone, which are designed for general purposes without assuming utilization of the driver during driving, may not be adequate to be utilized with the in-vehicle device by the driver. Therefore, in a case where the applications of the mobile phone are utilized with the in-vehicle device, a screen is difficult to be visually recognized, or the applications are difficult to be operated, and hence the time for removing the driver's gaze from the view of the front of the vehicle may tend to be increased.
Particularly, for example, when a screen including operation buttons, small characters, moving images, and the like, at which a user tends to fixedly look, is displayed on the in-vehicle device, the attention of the driver directs to the in-vehicle device, and attentiveness to the outside world tends to be decreased. Additionally, also in a case where operation is required a plurality of times until the application is changed to a desired state, the attention of the driver directs to the in-vehicle device, and attentiveness to the outside world tends to be decreased.